Cold Calling from the Car

[Justin Bilyj]

First off, you can bluetooth it, so that gets rid of the cops, also, you can either record the conversations (using mojo) or you can carry your laptop into the car, have it run, and just download Dragon Speak, it notates everything you say for you, so either way, you have an easy way to retain information while your creating leads. Remember, your only calling to set an appt. so driving and calling can be done, you just have to figure out how you will know WHO you will be calling...(looking down, looking up, looking down, looking up, SMASH)...on second thought, better to stick with books on tape

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

That's a lot of things to do at once.

It reminds of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer, in an effort to save time, installed a garbage disposal in his shower. That way, he could prepare food for guests while he bathed!

 

[djs]

You know, cold calling from a cell phone is probably not a great idea. Why appear cheap and give people the impression you are just starting out on a career? On the phone, you want to give the impression of you in a successful office, a cell phone doesn't do this at all.

Cold calling from a car in motion is somehow my idea of exactly why people insist on the do not call list. It shows little respect for the person on the other end of the phone.

Seriously, the quality of a cell phone call is not that great. Yes, in some areas you can do pretty decent, but it's never as clear as a landline. Don't have your first impression be that of someone dressed in a t-shirt and torn jeans. Have it be of someone who is professional, stable, and has respect for the time of the person on the other end of the phone.

I understand the overwhelming desire to make use of the time in the car, but use it in other ways. Call on submitted apps, call current clients to follow up and give status updates, call another agent to shoot the breeze, listen to motivational / sales tapes. Don't cold call simply because you have some time but not the facility.

Dan

 

[scagnt83]

It can certainly be done, especially these days with all the new technology out there.

First, I wouldnt suggest doing it if you dont feel comfortable driving and talking on the phone. Some people are simply more adept at this than others.

Personally I just dont have a need to do this. But I have sometimes in the past. I feel its most effective with your natural market, or people you already have some type of warm or luke warm relationship with. Mainly because it should be an easier call.

Also, where you live will impact this as well.
In a big city where there is a whole lot of stop and go traffic it would make a lot more sense. Especially in some areas where you might have an hour and a half drive to work. LA would be a perfect example of this.
The smaller the city and the lighter the traffic, I would say it would make less and less sense...


I dont have an Iphone, I have a droid, so these are google apps. Im sure apple has the exact same stuff.
Get:
1. "Prospectosyl Dialer"- Its made for prospecting and managing prospect contacts. It will manage calls, dial, plan call backs, export reports, and import contacts from a spreadsheet. However it does cost about $12 dollars.

2. "Choice Dialer"- Hands free verbal communication with your phone: Voice activated phone calls, event scheduling on calender, schedules reminders or alarms, starts emails, etc. There is a pay version for $4 and a scaled back free version (I am going to try the free version today)

3. "Upvise Sales"- Another prospecting management system. This sounds a bit more comprehensive than the Prospectosyl Dialer, But seems geared more toward project management type stuff....

4. VIOP type apps- This will allow you to use your through its broadband connection instead of the usual cell line, thus saving your minutes for personal use, not prospecting..

I have not used any of these, but have been thinking of getting choice dialer and Prospectosyl...

Most of these are available for blackberries too..

Happy prospecting
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You know, cold calling from a cell phone is probably not a great idea. Why appear cheap and give people the impression you are just starting out on a career? On the phone, you want to give the impression of you in a successful office, a cell phone doesn't do this at all.

I use my cell for business 90% of the time, prospecting or otherwise.
Around 70% of my prospecting is for successful business owners, and I have never had one problem. Granted, the cell reception around here is usually pretty clear.
Also, when these business owners call me its on their cell probably 75% of the time.

If reception was spotty in my area I wouldnt prospect as much on my cell.

But calling from a cell does not give the impretion of being cheap, unsuccessful, or just starting out.

Actually, if you go to your clients for meetings and they see that you are constantly calling from your office line, they might wonder if they are your only client since your always at the office....

 

[Josh]

You could also use skype to go and call into mojo. (with a droid)

 

[Justin Bilyj]

Mojo said they were working on a droid app, but its not finished...

 

[scagnt83]

Cold calling from a car in motion is somehow my idea of exactly why people insist on the do not call list. It shows little respect for the person on the other end of the phone.

Seriously, the quality of a cell phone call is not that great. Yes, in some areas you can do pretty decent, but it's never as clear as a landline. Don't have your first impression be that of someone dressed in a t-shirt and torn jeans. Have it be of someone who is professional, stable, and has respect for the time of the person on the other end of the phone.
Dan

Most people insist on the no call list because they dont want 15 calls a day from strangers, they dont care what they are using to call them, they just dont want to be called.

Speaking in a respectful manner, listening, being attentive, being responsive, and being courteous over the phone is much more a sign of respect rather than what type of phone you are using...

Just my personal opinion though. This might be a generational thing though, although the majority of my clients are much older than me and I have never once had pushback or felt that I was hindered by using a cell phone...

And a t-shirt and jeans?? Come on, some slacker in a tshirt and jeans isnt going to have the need to utilize a cell phone for business. I know of multimillionaires that use their cell for business almost 100% of the time...

And most cell reception around here (as long as you have a decent cell phone) is just as clear as a land line.

Of course, to each their own, but I would never discourage someone from using a cell phone to prospect. Its a key piece of my business.

 

[djs]

First, I wouldnt suggest doing it if you dont feel comfortable driving and talking on the phone. Some people are simply more adept at this than others.

Unfortunately, those who tend to feel comfortable doing this tend to be the worse at it. It does depend where you are driving though....

And yes, this is easily technically done. That does not make it a good thing. Like I said, I understand the desire to multi-task and make use of the time.

To me, prospecting on a cell phone simply isn't putting your best foot forward. This is different from calling your clients on a cell phone or clients calling you. It is all about impressions. The good news is, you are welcome to disagree with me and do whatever you want. There is a difference in the sound quality, the delay, and the overall impression made. Cold call me from your cell phone and it will be a very short conversation. But that is me.

I am a bit of a stickler on this. I use Polycom phones and Plantronics headsets, figuring it is a small investment to make. I tried 'cheaper' systems, but realized quickly just how expensive those cheaper systems really where.

Anyone who is expecting a call from me I have no problem calling from my cell. I also call many vendors from my cell phone. They never complain. And when I am out of the office and call someone from my cell phone, it does appear to be from my office number. Amazing technology now-a-days.

If this was 'calling clients from your car', I would say sure. But cold-calling, it just seems wrong. To each is own.

Dan
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Just my personal opinion though. This might be a generational thing though, although the majority of my clients are much older than me and I have never once had pushback or felt that I was hindered by using a cell phone...

And a t-shirt and jeans?? Come on, some slacker in a tshirt and jeans isnt going to have the need to utilize a cell phone for business. I know of multimillionaires that use their cell for business almost 100% of the time...

And most cell reception around here (as long as you have a decent cell phone) is just as clear as a land line.

I guess this is where we disagree a lot.

You would not know if a cell phone call caused someone to slam the phone down on you. You would simply chalk it up to someone didn't want to be cold called.

I used the tshirt and jeans to make a point about impressions. It's not reality, but it is an impression. My clients want the impression of stability. I try to present myself this way to my prospects. Clients don't care when I call them on my cell.

Yes, multi-millionairres use cell phones. They probably don't use it for cold calling lists of prospects though.

It is a generational thing. If you call 20 somethings, a cell phone is probably okay.

Also, I will guarantee you a good cell phone call is not as good as a landline call. It can approach it, but it doesn't achieve it. The biggest problem is the added delay in the call, which causes a pacing/tempo problem. If only one person is on a cell, it may not be that bad, if both are, it can be an issue. Also, the frequency response is terrible on a cell phone, very limited. Add in the ugliness of bluetooth headsets on cell phones and the call quality goes downhill fast.

Dan

 

[scagnt83]

It is a generational thing. If you call 20 somethings, a cell phone is probably okay.

Also, I will guarantee you a good cell phone call is not as good as a landline call. It can approach it, but it doesn't achieve it. The biggest problem is the added delay in the call, which causes a pacing/tempo problem. If only one person is on a cell, it may not be that bad, if both are, it can be an issue. Also, the frequency response is terrible on a cell phone, very limited. Add in the ugliness of bluetooth headsets on cell phones and the call quality goes downhill fast.

Dan

First, I think we both agree to go with whatever works for an individual. I wasnt really trying to pick apart your post, just offering my take on the subject...

In addition to a generational issue I would say its a cultural one as well. In some areas cell phones are just used more than most, its common practice in both business and personal dealings. Of course these areas also probably have much better cell reception than what you speak of...

Five or six years ago reception wasnt as good around here and you would encounter delays or static and such, but these days if you have a cell phone that was built within the last few years these issues are fairly non existent. With 3G and 4G networks quality is pretty much indiscernible from a landline.

And again, I would say that your city and the traffic system would impact the need to do this more than anything.
Some people spend 45 minutes to an hour in traffic that is at a crawl to and from work everyday.
If I had to endure this I would probably spend it CCing too.
Around my city there is really no need to, I can be pretty much anywhere within 20 minutes...

 

[aimo]

Thanks everyone for the input. You gave me some good ideas, both if I will pursue cold calling from the car, or if I will just listen to some good tapes instead.